Wund do Vokun (Quest of Shadows)
by Strundaam Rahzun
Summary: The funeral of a fallen friend. A storm-of-the-era. A dark group of assassins. All of which pose a challenge for Rayne. Game-changing choices will be made. Bonds will be forged. New people will enter the trek for freedom, and salvation. And Rayne will attempt to do what she hadn't succeeded at before... Protect those closest to her. R&R! (Takes place in Skyrim)
1. Revelations

Three years. Three, long years have passed since Forlyn had last spoken with Rayne. She said there was something she needed to do, alone, and that she would contact him within a few months... But, it had dawned upon Forlyn that, maybe, that would be the last time they ever had an exchanging of words.

During those three years, Forlyn had spent most of his time living an easy-going life in Riverwood. He moved there a few days after Rayne had left. He works the lumber mill, hunts, and works the forge. His home is the Sleeping Giant Inn, where Forlyn pays for his stay in working at the inn, such as cleaning tankards, chopping wood for fires and cooking, and keeping the place tidy.

Even though Forlyn's life is considered "easy going", he's still had a few rough patches here and there. A bear-hunt gone wrong ended with the bear dead, but with a large claw scar on the left side of Forlyn's face, taking off some of his beard. He'd shaved his face so the wound could be treated with a healing spell. From then, he let it grow.

_**Present...**_

Forlyn was working the lumber mill, watching as the saw cut through the wood like a knife through butter. Leaning against one of the wooden posts, he inhaled the morning air, the cold air chilling his lungs. He exhaled, and watched an elk drink from the river on the opposite bank. It seemed so peaceful, just taking a moment to focus on water, not worrying about wolves wanting to kill it, or hunters, well, hunting it. Just, peace.

Forlyn's daze was broken when Ralof waved his hand in the way of Forlyn's face.

"Hello? Forlyn, you here?" Ralof said. Forlyn blinked, shook his head, then turned his gaze on Ralof.

"Morning to you, too." Forlyn said. Ralof looked around before speaking again.

"You hear about the emperor?" Ralof asked.

"No. What happened?" Forlyn asked.

"Turn's out the Dark Brotherhood got to him. Seems as if the Legion had really lost, now." Ralof said.

"Damn. Never thought they'd actually do it." Forlyn said.

"Oh, before I forget," Ralof began, pulling out a letter from his tunic pocket, "a courier stopped by yesterday, looking for you. Since you were hunting, I figured I'd hold onto it. Still sealed." Forlyn accepted the letter, looking at the signature on the cover. "The courier said that the payment was large, about 2,000 gold, to get it to you as urgently as possible." When Ralof finished speaking, Forlyn slipped the letter into the pocket of his belted tunic.

"Thank you," Forlyn said, "I'll be sure to read it later today." Forlyn paused before resuming talk. "Well, I better get back to it. Take care, Ralof. And, save me some mead, will ya?" Forlyn said. Ralof just laughed and said bye.

As Ralof left, Forlyn turned his gaze back on the deer... Which, wasn't there, anymore. Forlyn exhaled, returning to his work at the mill. He loaded the log and pulled the lever, watching saw, yet again, cut through the wood.

_**Sleeping Giant Inn, later that day...**_

Forlyn sat on the edge of the bed in his room, with a "closet" that led to a secret room. The letter sat on the bed next to him, just waiting to be read. Forlyn wasn't sure whether he wanted to read it or not. It could be a threat, it could be an offering, or simply a hello from a person he once knew.

Finally deciding, he opened up the letter, breaking the seal that held it closed. He read it a few times.

_Forlyn,_

_I cannot divulge my name in this letter. Not with the risk of it falling into the wrong hands. Something huge is going on, and I don't know if I'll make it out alive. If we don't do anything about this, neither of us will probably make it out alive. I urge you to make haste. Time is of the essence._

_The location is a small town known as Riften. Quickly, I urge you to hurry. I will be waiting in the Bee and Barb._

_Sincerely,_

_A friend._

Forlyn set the letter down. His first thought was that it was Rayne, but that seemed nearly impossible. She couldn't have made contact with him, not after the great silence she had given him over the past years. He figured it best that he think about it, before jumping to conclusions.

The next day, Forlyn got up just before sunrise, going for a hunt. It was the best thing that would take the letter off of his mind, for now. Hunting was his get-a-way from the world, allowing him to focus all of his concentration on the animal he will hunt.

Readying an arrow on his hunting bow, Forlyn watched as a wolf stalked a fox. The wolf was the envisionment of power, muscles tensed, teeth bared, a look of fierceness in it's eyes. The fox payed no attention to the wolf, calmly relaxing on the grass, unaware of the threat. The wolf inched closer, eyes on the prey. It stood there like a statue, watching the wolf, still unaware of the wolf about to pounce it. Forlyn pulled back the arrow on his bow, aiming for the wolf. Waiting for the wolf to pounce, Forlyn sat in his crouched position, ready.

Sure enough, the wolf leapt for the fox, latching it's jaws around the fox's neck. Forlyn immediately fired an arrow at the wolf's neck, killing it. The fox's neck had been snapped during the events, but that just meant more food for the village. Forlyn sheathed his bow and began the porcess of getting the animals back to the village.

Forlyn ran into Ralof on the way back to the village. "Hey, Ralof," Forlyn began, "what're you doing out here?" Forlyn asked.

"Taking a walk. I see your hunt was successful," Ralof said, taking the fox from Forlyn.

"Thanks," Forlyn began, "anything happen while I was gone this morning?"

"Not really. Sven went on a hungover-rant over Camilla, and how she shouldn't be loving an 'animal speaker'... Faendal." Ralof said. Forlyn laughed, almost dropping the dead wolf. He recorrected the position of the wolf, then continued on his way to Riverwood.

Forlyn and Ralof began the process of skinning the animals on a hand-crafted wooden table, oughly made, but good enough. Forlyn stuck a sharpened iron dagger into the wolfs midsection, opening the wolfs skin, carefully making each cut. Ralof did the same with the fox, just less work.

When they finished skinning the animals, Forlyn and Ralof took the skins to the river to clean the animals of blood, soaked them in water, then hung them to dry. Returning to the animals, they began to take the meat off the bones, tossing the hunks of meat into wooden barrels, lined with salt, to preserve the meat. Once cleaned of meat, the bones are rinsed with water, then prepped to sale to an alchemist for bone meal.

_**Later that night...**_

Forlyn headed to the inn for a mug of mead.

"How was your hunt?" Orgnar asked.

"Eh, could've been better. Got a wolf hunting a fox. Two birds with one stone, yeah?" Forlyn said. Orgnar laughed, topping off Forlyn's tankard. Forlyn nodded, and Orgnar got to cooking a slab of wolf meat over the fire in the center of the room.

Forlyn thought back to the letter. He'd have to make his decision, and soon. So used to the life he lives now, Forlyn finds it hard to leave the village. This was his home. And the thought of never returning again haunted him. He hated going back to the memory...

_Only fourteen at the time, Forlyn awoke, a smoky scent filling his nose. Eyes watering, he did his best to see through the smoke in his home. He shot out of his bed, frantically looking for his parents. Their bed was on fire, their bodies cut open and burnt. Forlyn screamed, tears streaming down his face. Though heavily emotional, he still had to escape. He turned behind him, holding his hands out, making his way through the smoke. Bumping into things, his goal was the front door._

_Forlyn tripped over a pot, smaking the ground. He pushed himself up, getting to the door. Finding the door, he reached for the handle. Burning his hand as he touched it, he pulled back from the door. _C'mon, Forlyn. Think, think, you can get out of this,_ Forlyn thought to himself. He remebered a smal hatch that led to a basement below, with a ladder leading to the surface. Heading in the desired direction, he reached the hatch. Luckily, it wasn't as hot. He pulled the hatch open, and descended the ladder leading into the basement._

_Closing the hatch behind him, Forlyn observed the basement. Barrels of meat and bread surrounded him, sacks of vegetables in the corner. But, his eyes were on something elde. In the corner of the room was a small lockbox. Forlyn approached the wooden desk it rested on, searching the drawer for the key. It was in the usual place, under a drawing that Forlyn made for his father. Forlyn folded it up, slipping it into his tunic pocket. He opened the lockbox, taking the small bag of maybe 200 gold, and slipped it into his tunic pocket, doing the same for the key. Then he set off for the ladder leading outside._

_Pulling himself out of the hatch, Forlyn turned to see the outside of his house on fire, a beacon in the night. He headed for the stone walkway that drove straight through Riverwood and found a man on the ground, bleeding out._

_"Run, boy, " The man began, "run before they get you." The man died shortley thereafter, Forlyn standing up. He turned to the sound of voices, and saw men charging him with swords. Forlyn took off, leaving Riverwood. Aimlessly running, nowhere he could possibly go for help._

_Just, running._

Forlyn came back to reality, looking around the inn. Ralof was sitting near the back of the room, Sven playing the lute. Embry was drunk, as usual, but this time, wasn't rude. Forlyn looked back to the bar, seeing a wooden plate with wolf meat and bread on it. Forlyn began to eat, chewing slowly. He hated thinking about that night, when he had to leave his home. The death of his parents chewed at him for months.

When Forlyn finished eating, he went straight to his room, in no mood for singing merrily with the rest of the patrons in the inn. He shut the door behind him, and sat on his bed, the letter still there. He looked it over again, not knowing what to do. Leaving would mean leaving home. Staying would mean chances of never seeing Rayne again.

Forlyn finally made his choice. Grabbing his hunting bow, he left the inn, still in his belted tunic and hide boots, and with a bushel of iron arrows in an arrow case, he set off for the Whiterun stables.

_**Whiterun Stables...**_

"Where do you need to go?" Bjorlam, the cairrage operator, asked.

"Riften, and quick." Forlyn responded. Forlyn handed the man a bag of 20 gold, and hopped in the back of the cairrage. He quickly got comfortable, knowing it would be a long ride.

_**Riften Gates...**_

Forlyn got off the cairrage, nodding to Holfgrir Horse-Crusher, and approached the gates of Riften.

"Halt," One of the guards began, "before I let you into Riften, you need to pay the visitors tax."

"What's the tax for?" Forlyn asked.

"For the privilege of entering the city. What does it matter?" Forlyn thought for a second before speaking.

"This is obviously a shakedown, but I'll pay," Forlyn said, pulling out a bag of gold for the guard. The guard accepted the gold.

"It's been a pleasure doing buisness with you. Let me unlck the gates, and you can head right in." The guard approached the gates, slipping the key into the lock, and letting Forlyn enter.

Forlyn walked down the stone path, only to be stopped by a man clad in steel armor, leaning against a wooden post.

"You in Riften lookin' for trouble?" The man asked.

"Just passin' through." Forlyn said.

"Well, guess what. There's nothin' to see here. Might as well get out while you can, before some theif picks your pocket, or even worse, kills you." The man said. Forlyn nodded, walking away. "I've got my eye on you," The guard said.

Forlyn walked over a stone bridge, passing by a man and woman discussing a debt. The Bee and Barb was directly in front of him. He approached the door, bracing himself. He gripped the handle. pulling the door open.

Walking into the inn, he was greeted by Talen-Jei.

"Hello, Forlyn. How nice to see you again." Forlyn nodded, looking around the inn. Then he turned to Talen-Jei.

"Has anyone strange looking come here?" Forlyn asked.

"Now that I think about it, yes. Looking for you, actually. The last time I saw them, they were upstairs in one of the rooms. I'd suggest you look up there," Talen-Jei said. Forlyn nodded, heading to the stairs.

Forlyn quickly ascended the stairs, searching the first room he saw. No one. He checked the next room. Still, nothing. The next room was a door on the far wall. _Huh,_ Forlyn thought_, I'll bet she's not in THERE_. He slowly approached the door, gripping the handle. He pulled open the door, bracing himself.

Nothing.

He opened the door to the final room. The first thing that caught his eye was a slip of paper on the bed with a drawing. He approached it, stopping just before the bed. It was an unfinished picture of a lake. He reached to pick it up... Then felt the cold feeling of a dagger on his neck.

"Don't you fucking move." It was a female voice. Forlyn immediately knew who it was.

"Rayne?"

**A/N-Hey! Here's chapter one in Quest of Shadows! I hope you guys enjoy, and you should expect all chapters to be this long. If you just discovered my stories, I welcome you! For those who are returning, thanks for being here! Fave and follow! (All thoe exclamation marks... Just means it's important)**


	2. Tidings

**Heads-Up- Thrynn in this chapter is the Thrynn in the Thieves Guild who was once part of a bandit clan. He wears a set of Blackguard Armor, which is essentially Thieves Guild armor, but without sleeves, and is grey, not a light shade of brown.**

Forlyn turned to face Rayne, who was lowering her dagger. It clattered to the floor, her hands shaking. Her eyes were read, and puffy around them. It looks as if she had been crying. Quickly, she fell into Forlyn, holding him tightly, tears streaming down her face. Forlyn returned the hug, slightly calming her... But, the tears rolled on.

After some time, Rayne's sob turned to a shaking body. She let go of Forlyn, sitting on the bed. Her hands rested on her knees, slightly bouncing her knees. Forlyn sat next to her, silently looking at the floor. The two sat in silence before speaking.

"How are you, Rayne?" Forlyn asked. She looked at the floor, lip trembling. Forlyn looked over at her, seeing as she was still holding back tears. He began to leave the room, giving her some alone time, but she refused. Grabbing him by the wrist, she yanked him back onto the bed, forcing him to sit next to her. Forlyn complied, not wanting to get into a fight with Rayne.

Rayne exhaled deeply before speaking.

"I went to Solstheim, a few weeks ago, to see an old friend who helped me and Thrynn..." She paused, pressing her fist against her mouth to hold back emotions. She exhaled, then began speaking again. "I found my friend, but, not how I should have found him." She paused, gripping the edge of the bed.

"He was skinned, his body raw. The skin lay on the floor before the body, flesh visible, dried and fresh blood on his body. His eyes were hanging from the sockets, his ears missing. It was horrible. His teeth were removed, along with his nails, and were crafted into a make-shift necklace." Rayne shivered at the thought, knuckles white from grabbing the bed. She let go, blood returning to her hands. She leaned foward, resting her head in her hands. Forlyn set his hand on her back, comforting her.

"Rayne?" Forlyn said. Rayne paused before speaking.

"Yes?"

"Who was your friend?"

"Neloth... His name was Neloth." Rayne said.

Something clicked in Forlyn's head. He knew that name, but, where had he heard it? It was so familiar. He thought back to when he'd first left Riverwood as a child. He remembers the cairrage ride to Windhelm. Meeting with his uncle. Taking the ship to Solstheim... Then it hit him. Neloth was a dark elf adult Forlyn had met by "accident", when Forlyn was scrounging for gold. Neloth didn't report him to the guard, knowing he was just a young child. During the four to five years Forlyn spent living there, Neloth had taught him many things, including the history of the Dwemer.

Forlyn looked at the floor, taking his hand away from Rayne. She lifted her head from her hands, looking over at Forlyn. He furiously wiped away tears, not admitting that he would cry.

"Did you... Did you know Neloth?" Rayne said. Forlyn paused before nodding. He explained what had happened, how he knew him. Rayne listened, intently. They both sat in silence before Forlyn spoke again.

"Who did this?" He asked.

"Same people who desecrated your brothers body... The Dark Brotherhood."

Forlyn paused before speaking. "I'm going to go downstairs and pay for the room for a couple of ni-" Forlyn was cut off by Rayne.

"There's no need. I know where we can stay for free."

"Where?" Forlyn asked.

"I'm still an active member of the Thieves Guild. They'll let us stay." Rayne said, getting up from the bed. She grabed the few things she had with her, along with the drawing, and left the room. Forlyn grabbed his bow, following Rayne downstairs.

Outside of the Bee and Barb, a courier was waiting for Rayne. She took the letter, thanking the courier, and slipping it into the pocket of her Thieves Guild armor.

"You're not going to read it?" Forlyn asked. Rayne hesitated before speaking.

"I know what it is, and I'd prefer to read it in private." She said, a bit too defensively. Forlyn nodded, feeling a little guilty.

Rayne and Forlyn entered the cistern, Rayne being greeted by a few of the people in the cistern.

"Hey, Rayne, how've you been?" One of the men asked in a raspy voice.

"Oh, good. My job went off without a hitch. And you, Thrynn?" Rayne said.

"Good. Haven't gotten any jobs lately. Be seein' you around." Thrynn said. Rayne nodded, and continued walking to Brynjolf.

"That man's name was Thrynn?" Forlyn asked.

"Yeah, but the funny thing is, he and your..." Rayne stopped in her footsteps, trailing off of what she was saying, knowing it was the wrong thing to do.

"Forlyn, I-"

"It's okay," Forlyn began, "you don't need to worry." Rayne nodded, and they continued walking through the cistern.

_**The Ragged Flagon...**_

"Rayne!" Brynjolf said, getting up from his chair. He apporached her, and Rayne handed him the Amulet of Souls she had stolen from a magician in Solitude. The Amulet of Souls was made of ebony, and had a black soul gem in the center-piece of the Amulet, glowing and fading a dark purple. It was warm to the touch. Brynjolf handed her the bag of 2,500 gold. Rayne gladly accepted the bag, holding it in her left hand.

"Brynjolf, can I ask you a favor?" Rayne asked.

"Sure, lass, what is it?"

"Me and my friend here were wondering if we could stay here for shelter for a while. You've heard of the snow-storm coming, right?" Rayne said.

"Yeah, I heard of it. Word is, it swept across Solsthiem, destroying about half of the island's structures, and cutting the population by at least a fourth. And yes, you can stay. Nocturnal knows we need the shelter." Brynjolf said.

"Great!" Rayne said. She turned to Forlyn, motioning for him to follow. The two went to the room next to the entrance to the cistern.

Forlyn sat on one of the beds. Rayne sat across from him on her bed, emptying out her small deer-skin pouch she had kept. Forlyn just sat there, listening to Rayne hum Ragnar The Red... It was his dead brothers favorite song. _No_, Forlyn thought to himself, _I won't let it get to me_. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, beginning to hum with Rayne. Rayne looked up at him, smiling as she humed. Forlyn smiled back. They humed for some time, getting settled in for the storm coming.

Truthfully, Forlyn had not heard of the storm, and it came as a shock to him that it was coming their way. Now, Skyrim and it's inhabitants won't be affected by it as much as the inhabitants of Solstheim, due to the fact that Skyrim is cold year-round. The Nord's are most likely to handle the storm, with tehir resistance to the cold weather. However, inhabitants such as Bretons, or Imperials, will most likely complain about the cold weather... But, you never know. They could be used to it.

Forlyn decided to go and get a drink from Vekel the Man. He left the room, leaving Rayne alone.

Meanwhile, Rayne took advantage of the moment of solitude to read the letter. She slowly slid her thumb cross the seal, breaking it, and began to read.

_Dear Rayne,_

_It is with great sorrow that I inform you of Neloth's death. It was gruesome. We wish you peace in the future. We will be holding a funeral in Raven Rock. Please, you should come. I know you were close with him, and so was your comerade. It takes place on the 12th of Frostfall._

_With deepest condolences,_

_Counciler Morvayn._

Rayne looked over the letter. She knew it would be about his death, but a funeral? She was never informed until now. She pocketed the letter, heading to the Flagon to ask Vekel what the date was.

"10th of Frostfall," He said. Rayne froze. Three days. She had three days to get to Solstheim. It would take nearly half a day to get to Windhelm, a day and a half travel to Solstheim, plus the storm coming through.

"When does the storm come through?" Rayne asked. It was 2:30 in the morning.

"They say at about midday it will be covering all of Skyrim ," Vekel said," And should last about a week." Rayne immediately went to the room where her stuff was, and began to pack. She only took what she needed, and went to find Forlyn. He was talking with Dirge about war axes, particularly dwarven.

"C'mon," Rayne said, "We need to leave."

"What?" Forlyn said.

"You heard me, we're leaving." Rayne said, heaidng for the back room. Forlyn hesitated before following Rayne to the back room.

"Rayne, what is going on?" He asked, irritated.

"Neloth's funeral is in two days," She frantically began, packing her deer skin pouch with essentials, "I think if we leave now, we can beat the-" Forlyn cut her off.

"Rayne the storm will cover all of Skyirm by the time we get to Windhelm, which means we'll already heve been in the storm, reducing our chances of getting to Windhelm at all," Forlyn said. "It's pointless." Rayne turned to face Forlyn, a look of fury in her eyes.

"It. Is. Not. Pointless." She said. "We're going, wheter you like it or not." Rayne's voice was shaky. Forlyn realized that there was no point in arguing with her. He'd never won one with her.

"Here," Rayne said, passing Forlyn a set of studded armor, with hide boots, hide bracers, and a hide helmet. He accepted them, then paused before speaking.

"Do you want me to leave the room while you change?" He asked Rayne.

"No, it's fine," She began, stripping from her clothing, "It's just a body, after all." Forlyn went to his bed to change, the hide armor fitting him well. The boots and bracers were comfortable enough. He put on the hide helmet, conforming to his head. he had a steel sword sheathed, along with a hunting bow and set of iron arrows on his back. Prefferable, by Forlyn's standards.

Rayne was wearing her set of Thieves Guild Armor, with a steel dagger sheathed, and her elven bow and arrows on her back.

"Ready?" Rayne asked.

"I guess. Let's go," Forlyn said.

The two went to the cistern so Rayne could say bye to Brynjolf.

"Leaving so soon, lass?" Brynjolf asked.

"Yeah," Rayne said, "need to take care of something." Brynjolf understood.

"You be safe," Brynjolf said, "And take this." In Brynjolf's hand was the Amulet of Souls. Rayne slowly accepted it, looking at Brynjolf.

"Do you want the gold back?" Rayne asked.

"No, lass. That Amulet is for your safety. Down here, we look out for each other, yeah?" Brynjolf said with a smile. Rayne thanked him, wondering why the Amulet would keep her safe, but pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She slid the Amulet into one of her many pockets on her Guild Armor. She turned to face Forlyn. They exchanged a glance, then headed to the cistern, and out the secret exit, to set out on a journey.

A journey that could end their lives.

But would be well worth it in the end.

**A/N-Hello, once again! Here is the next chapter in Quest of Shadows! I hope you guys enjoy, and review of PM me as to what direction you think the story is going in, and if you have any useful tips for me, lemme know! Thanks, and read on! (All those exclamation marks are getting excessive, yeah?)**


	3. Flashbacks

**WARNING-THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRUESOME AND VICIOUS CONTENT THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SOME READERS. IT IS RECCOMENDED THAT YOUNG READERS SKIP THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU READ IT AND GET NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT, NOT MY FAULT.**

_**3 Years ago, Tel Mithryn...**_

Neloth watched as Thrynn and Teldryn left the structure, and Rayne out the top hatch. He immediately sprung to action, grabbing a few staffs, potions, and left the room. He took the back exit, quickly shutting the door behind him. He bolted left, racing past Tel Mithryn to get a view of the battlefield. He reached an ash hill, prepping a staff of fireball, and began to fire at the bandits. But, it was short lived. He heard something behind him. Spinning around, he turned to see that four Dark Brotherhood assassins were waiting for him, daggers out. Neloth braced himself for a fight.

Neloth sent a fireball towards the group, but they vanished into nothing as it made contact. They reappeared seconds later, surrounding Neloth. Neloth threw the staff at one of them with Telekineses, then prepped fireball spells in each hand. He fired them at the assassins... But, the assassins were skilled with magic, casting wards unknown to man. They were Void Wards, which could block the shout of a dragon. Neloth reduced to hand-to-hand combat, fighting the assassins close-up... Only to be knocked out by a strong spell from the Void.

_**Several days later...**_

Neloth woke up in Tel Mithryn, an assassin standing before him.

"He's awake," said a nordic-voice, female. The female assassin backed up, allowing another assassin to get a look at Neloth.

"Huh," He said, "You can see it in his eyes. That swirling translucent wave in his eyes means mage. We've got ourselves quite the prize, boys," The assassin said, followed by a laugh. Neloth looked at himself, seeing he was striped down to his undergarments. His left arm and leg were tied to a pole on his left, same for his right side, and they were set a bit too far apart, causing his muscles to tear. He looked back up at the assassin before him.

"What do you-" Neloth began, but was cut off by the fist of the assassin.

"Don't talk unless spoken to, vermin." The assassin said. "Hand me the dagger." The female assassin handed the assassin before Neloth a steel dagger. He gladly accepted it, then approached Neloth, set the dagger's blade on Neloths chest, and just barely pushed into his skin. Neloth's skin tore, blood pouring down his chest. His skin kept tearing, slowly but surely, the poles pulling his skin on both directions. Neloth screamed, tensing his muscles. That just made it worse, tearing skin all over his body.

It was torture.

The assassins were laughing at Neloth, watching with great curiosity as Neloth slowly died. One of the assassins took a wooden spoon from a table and scooped out Neloth's eyeballs, letting them hang from his sockets. He screamed even more, a tidal wave of pain smashing his body. The assassins cut off his ears. They reomved his teeth, blood filling his mouth. Nails were removed from all fingers and toes. Then the assassins removed the fingers and toes, themselves, then crafted a rough necklace with them. Neloth still clung on to life, struggling to stay alive.

Then came the skinning.

The assassins ripped his facial hair off. They took a dagger to the top of his head, slicing down the side of Neloths body, following the skin, until they reached the end point, where they started. They then pulled Neloth's skin off of his body, an assassin mage teasing Neloth with a healing spell. Neloth screamed.

They were keeping him alive to feel the pain.

One of the assassins cut off his genitals, lighting them on fire in front of Neloth's face. Neloth screamed once again, the pain unbearable.

Time for the final act.

All four of the assassins lashed away at his skin, cutting him here and their, blood gushing from his body. Then, one of the assassins took off the glove on his left hand, igniting a fire spell. Then he drove his hand into Neloth's chest, burning through flesh and bone, and gripped the heart. He squeezed, nearly killing Neloth, then tore out his heart.

That was it.

Neloth was dead.

It was over.

The assassins cheered, lacing the "necklace" they made around Neloth's neck, and packed their stuff. Once all the entrances were secured, they left the structure through the back exit, sealing the house with a spell from the Void, an aura of magic surrounding the house. Checking the perimeter, they made sure there was no one to see or hear what had happened.

May the gods have mercy on whomever they find

**A/N-Sooo, how'd you like it? PM or review.**


	4. Seperation

Rayne and Forlyn walked through Riften, overhearing peoples' conversations about the storm coming. Forlyn was surprised at how fearful they were. _Surely it's not that bad_, Forlyn thought to himself. Lost in his own thought, he hadn't realized Rayne had quickened her pace. Forlyn caught up to her, approaching the gates of Riften. Without stopping, Rayne pushed the gates open as she walked, passing past the gate guards, and followed the stone path that led from Riften.

There were no horses left, as people fled the city to seek "better" shelter from the storm, and the cairrage had been damaged due to an accident with a group of bandits. Rayne couldn't wait around for the repairs, quickly heading down the path, with Forlyn in tow.

The sun was to rise, and soon. Rayne quickened her pace, stopping when she heard noise nearby. She dropped to a low crouch, motioning for Forlyn to hide in the trees nearby. He approached one of the trees, quickly ascending it. Once high enough, he readied an arrow on his hunting bow, keeping an eye on Rayne and the path. Rayne hid in a prone position behind a good bunch of bushes near the road. She equipped her steel dagger, wating silently for whatever was coming down the road.

A man dressed in Dark Brotherhood robes, followed by two assassins from the Dark Brotherhood. Rayne held her breath, quickly turning her eyes to Forlyn, who made eye contact with Rayne. She nodded, and Forlyn aimed for one of the assassins. He held his breath for a second, then released an arrow, striking one of the assassins in the neck. The assassin fell to the ground, blood spilling from his neck. Rayne emerged from the bushes, stabbing the other assassin in the back, then the neck. She could feel blood covering her hand. It gave her a rush. _No_, She thought, _Not now_. She ripped the dagger out of the assassins neck, rushing for the hooded assassin, who gripped her wrist. She punched him in the throat, but hit something else. She ripped her hand from the assassins grip, backing up. A sound came from under the hood, then the assassin pulled it off his head. Rayne couldn't believe what she saw.

A Dragon Priest.

Rayne ducked for cover as it launched a fireball at her. _What the hell?!_ Rayne thought. Forlyn descended from the tree, firing arrows at the Dragon Priest. It turned it's attention to Forlyn, who dropped his bow, pulling out his steel sword, and charged the Priest. As the Priest charged a firaball spell, Forlyn drove his sword through it's torso. A deafening sound emerged from the throat of the Dragon Priest, causing Forlyn to lose his grip on the sword. He fell backwards, covering his ears. Rayne did the same, but kept her balance. She struggled to stay up, helplessley watching as the Dragon Priest picked up Forlyn by his neck, then launched him toward a tree. This silled her with rage. She would not lose another friend. She removed her hand from her ears, the sound still coming from the Dragon Priest. Pulling together all her energy and focus, she shouted at the Dragon Priest.

"**Fus, RO DAH!**"

The Dragon Priest flew a great distance, turning to ash in mid-air. She stood there for a moment, feeling the thu'um flowing through her body. Returning to reality, she rushed towards Forlyn, who was knocked unconcious from the blow. She quickly pulled him from the tree, resting his body on the ground. She readied a healing spell, quickly running it over Forlyn's body. Her energy was quickly fading, her vision darkening. And just as she was about to give out, Forlyn awoke. He sat up, turing to face Rayne, who was nearly blacked out. He quickly got up to his feet, pulling her up to a standing position. She was having trouble standing, so Forlyn turned to his last choice. He picked her up, carrying her in his arms, and made his way down the path.

Rayne awoke in Forlyn's arms. She looked up at his face, a burn mark where fire had struck him earlier. Her vision slowly lightened, and she got a clearer vision of what was around her. Snow had begun to fall. Slowley, but surely, it was covering the pathway. She turned back to Forlyn, his face now showing signs of struggle.

"Forlyn," She managed to choke out. He stopped, looking down at her. He slowly set her down, seeing as she could hold herself up now. A bit wobbly, but still, manageable. She thanked Forlyn, and they headed further down the path.

The snow got heavier, about 9 inches covering the ground. Forlyn and Rayne were now dragging their feet through the snow.

"Stop." Forlyn said. Rayne turned to face him.

"What?" She said, annoyed.

"We need to stop. We'll never make it. We're barely five miles away from Riften. This storm will swallow us up before we get to Windhelm. Let's set up camp, maybe wait it out-" Forlyn was cu toff by Rayne.

"This storm is going to last at least a week. The funeral is in two days! We can't just stay here!" Rayne was now furious, fist's clenched, her voice raised.

"Rayne, listen to me," Forlyn began, "If we don't stop and set up camp, we will die. Do you understand? Dead. No longer on the face of Skyrim." Rayne and Forlyn locked eyes for a moment, then Rayne spoke.

"Fine, then. I'll go by myself. You can stay here," She said, eyes watering up.

"Rayne-"

"No. You've made your choice." Rayne said. "Goodbye." And with that, Rayne left, dissapearing in the haze of snow. Forlyn punched a nearby tree, cursing himself. He knew there would be no changing her mind. He began setting up camp.

_**Later that night...**_

Forlyn sat inside his makeshift "tent", which was really just a bunch of branches leaning against each other. The snow hammered his little home, just barely holding up. He cast a fire spell in his left hand, keeping himself warm. It didn't have much effect, but nevertheless, it worked.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a noise nearby. He sat up, looking as best he could at what was outside of his tent. Just snow and ice, hammering the ground and everything in sight. Taking a closer look, he saw it. A figure, dressed in robes. _How...?_ Forlyn thought. The man was casting a legendary ward, keeping him safe. Then the figure approached Forlyn, who pulled out his sword. The figure was casting a spell in his left hand, and launched it towards Forlyn. Paralyzation. Forlyn couldn't move, But he could sure as hell hear.

"Hm," The figure said. "Where's your little friend? Oh, right, you can't talk." The figure laughed, then two more figures emerged, putting Forlyn's paralyzed body into a large sack, and carried him away, the makeshift tent falling over. The thougth of being taken by unknown people wasn't what was bothering him, though.

It was Rayne's whereabouts that got to him.

And how stupid he was to not go with her.

**A/N- So, Forlyn's been taken by a mysterious group of people, and Rayne's whereabouts are unknown. If you think you know what will happen, review or PM me. Thanks for keeping up with the story, and lemme know what your thoughts are so far.**


	5. New Friends, and a Revelation

Rayne pushed through the snow, now up to her waist. She held her arms up before her face, shielding it from the harsh sleet, ice, and snow that hamered the land. Her guild armor did it's best to keep her warm, but failed to succeed. It was too damn cold. She kept thinking about what she said to Forlyn, heart aching. She cried when she left, making her way through the snow. Now it was unbearable.

The teeth-chattering cold was getting to her. Her whole body was freezing. But, that was no excuse to stop. She needed to get to that funeral, dead or not. She would get there. Even if it meant leaving Forlyn behind. _Forlyn..._ She thought. She kept thinking about that moment, and emotions flooded her. She began to sob, and punched the snow.

"FUCK!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. But, she kept moving.

Now, her body was losing energy. She could feel her joints freezing, heart-rate slowing down. _This is it_, She thought. _**This is where I die**_. Her pace slowed, ice forming on her pale-blue face. Her fingers were numb. She came to a complete stop, her joints frozen. Nothing to help her.

All alone.

And just as she gave up hope, she heard something. A familiar voice. And one she hadn't heard before. The voices were getting closer. Louder. More recognizable. Then she heard it. That, strange laugh. A laugh that belonged only to one person that Rayne knew.

"C'mon, Cicero. She should be right here," A female voice urged.

"Oh, oh, Cicero is coming! He can't wait to see the Listener!" There was a long pause before they spoke again.

"Found her!" The female voice said.

"Oh, Cicero is SO excited! The Night Mo-" Cicero was cut off by the female voice.

"Cicero, do you fail to forget? The Night Mother had been desecrated. Burned. Severed. Dead. She will most certainly NOT be pleased, and we do not follow her, anymore. Understand?" Cicero paused before speaking.

"Oh, yes, Cicero remembers. How he feels hatred for those fools of the Dark Brotherhood." Cicero said. Rayne felt herself being picked up by Cicero and the female. Rayne couldn't move her body as she was taken to a small cave nearby. Inside, Cicero and the female set Rayne down on a bear-skin mat, the fur facing upwards. A fire had been lit nearby, and there was a small underground fresh-water lake near them. A knapsack was nearby, with a few books and a dagger spilling out of it. The female quickly stripped Rayne of her soaked clothing, giving Rayne fresh undergarments to change into... With assisstance. She could barely move.

Once changed into fresh undergarments, the female assassin ignited a fire spell in her left hand, and a healing spell in her right.

"Alright, this may hurt a bit. Nothing personal," She said, then ran the fire spell over Rayne's body, followed by a healing spell to heal the burns, all the while raising Rayne's body temparature. She grunted as the flames burned her, followed by a sigh of relief as the healing spell did it's magic.

Once finished, Rayne could move freely, but with some restrictions. She was given a set of dark brotherhood armor. Along with this was the Amulet of Souls. She quickly put the armor on, then grabbed the Amulet of Souls. It was radiating heat, and it warmed Rayne. She quickly laced it around her neck, and it warmed her body.

Rayne looked around the cave, which was relatively small. She turned to face the female assassin, who was wearing a set of Dark Brotherhood armor. Rayne bounded to her feet, reaching for her dagger that wasn't there.

"Easy, there," The female assassin began, "We mean no harm." When Cicero heard this, he came back into the cave, squealing at the sight of Rayne.

"It is the Listener! The Listen... er..." Cicero looked at the female assassin, who was glaring at him. He nodded, turning back to Rayne.

"Cicero's apoligies," He began, "It's so wonderful to see you again, Miss Rayne Dragonheart." Cicero bowed, and Rayne smiled.

"It's nice to see you, too." Rayne said. Then she turned to face the female assassin. "And, who are you?" The female assassin stood up before speaking.

"My name is Aaliyah Ienith, ex-Dark Brotherhood assassin. And you must be the famous ex-Listener." Aaliyah reached out a hand, which Rayne shook.

"What do you mean, 'ex'?" Rayne asked. Cicero and Aaliyah exchanged a glance, then Aaliyah turned her attention back to Rayne.

"The Dark Brotherhood has lost it. Someone else took charge when you left, and they destroyed the Night Mother, somehow killing her. They abandoned the Five Tenets, the ones you followed, and are now stronger than before. Cicero and I left before things got out of control, seeking you out." Aaliyah explained.

"Okay, but why me?" Rayne asked.

"Because you were once the Listener. Your only contact with the Void has been sealed off for eternity, and the Dark Brotherhood is abandoning your ways, and trying to kill you." Rayne thought to herself before speaking.

"Hm, you may be right about the power, too. We were attacked by a Dragon Priest who was travelling with two assassins-" Rayne was cut off by Aaliyah.

"Woah, hold on. 'We'?"

"His name is Forlyn. He's a good friend of mine, and we had a falling out not too long ago. I don't know what happened to him." Rayne said, looking into the fire on the ground. Aaliyah had a look of shock on her face. Rayne noticed it.

"What?" Rayne asked.

"Oh, shit..." Aaliyah began. "Cicero, Rayne, we need to get going." Aaliyah began to pack her stuff, which wasn't much. Cicero followed suit, and Rayne was just confused.

"Hold on. We're leaving? As in, heading back out there?" Rayne asked, irritated.

"Yeah. Don't worry, you won't freeze. Not with that Amulet on." Aaliyah motioned to the Amulet of Souls. "As for us", She continued, "We'll be fine. This armor is meant to resist cold." Rayne eyed Aaliyah. "Just, not that cold," Aaliyah said. She turned to Cicero, who was ready. Then she turned to Rayne, who was missing a weapon. Aaliyah handed Rayne the Elven Bow and arrows Rayne had with her when she'd been found.

"Ready?" Aaliyah said. Cicero and Rayne noddded, and Aaliyah motionedd for the trio to head out "Let's go, then."

_**Meanwhile, at the Dark Brotherhood Rift Camp...**_

"Quickly now, lock him up."

"I am, I am. Calm down, Nygil."

"Hush! We don't use names when the prisoner is around, or even AWAKE! He may have heard us."

"Bah, he's still knocked out. Can't hear a thing." And with that, Forlyn was shoved into a cell, relatively small, with a dirt floor and walls. Forlyn guesses that he was undeground. Outside of the bars before him there was a large cavern, cells lining the walls. At the far end of the room was a desk, barred away, and a door behind that.

Forlyn had heard every word that the bandits had said. He knew what was to happen to him. Toruture for information. An eye for an eye. When under a paralyze spell, you have a ninety percent chance of being knocked out... Forlyn succumbed to the other ten percent of staying awake.

Forlyn sat near the back of the cell, where it was darkest. He could feel the hair growing out on his face. Rubbing his hand over his jaw line, he wondered why he had cut it in the first place. He knew it was getting out of hand, but if he had ALSO known that there would be a storm, he would've kept the beard. _Bah_, He thougth,_ Wasting my time on useless thougths_. He heavily exhaled, knowing he would be in there a long time.

_**In the storm...**_

"C'mon, were almost there!" Aaliyah said.

Rayne was still thinking about what Aaliyah had said. _They destroyed the Night Mother, somehow killing her._ If that is the truth, then Rayne was no longer Listener. But, it didn't bother her. She thought she knew why, but... She wasn't sure. She learned about honor, true comradery, She had put her past behind her once she had met Thrynn three and a half years ago, when she was first assigned to kill him.

Rayne returned to reality, seeing as Aaliyah was waiting outside a cave entrance.

"Rayne! You coming?" Rayne quickly exited her thoughts.

"Yeah," She began, "Yeah, I'm coming." Rayne approached the cave entrance, following Aaliyah into the cave. But, there was a certain smell that made Rayne uncomfortable. A smell that hadn't bothered her three and a half years ago. The smell that lingered in the air of the Falkreath Dark Brotherhood sanctuay.

Blood. _Oh, shit..._

**A/N-Well, there's chapter 5. Review what you think will happen! Or, PM me. Either way, just tell me what you thought. Shout-out goes to TheEndsongAbyssXV for the great OC, Aaliyah Ienith! Really needed it for this chapter, otherwise, it wouldn't have it's je ns sais quoi!**


	6. A Brush With Death

Aaliyah immediately turned to face Rayne, a dagger to her throat. "What the fu-" Rayne was cut off by Aaliyah's hand on her mouth, silencing her.

"Listen," She began, "They need to believe that I'm taking you back to them. You're going to be put into a cell next to your friend, Forlyn. Before you ask, yes, he is here. That is why we came back. I can get access to the master key. When the changing of the guard takes place, I'll unlock both of your cells, and we'll get out of here... But, not before extracting revenge and getting more information." And with that, Aaliyah guided Rayne down the cave, a dagger to her back.

"Ah! You've returned successful, Aaliyah. Our master will be most pleased." A hooded assassin approached Rayne. "So, this is the infamous Rayne Dragonheart. Ex-Listener, if I am correct?" The man said, running a finger down Rayne's face. It smelled like blood.

"Send her to one of the cells. We'll deal with her after the changing of the guard." The man said, walking away. Aaliyah prodded Rayne with her dagger.

"Hey!" Rayne harshley whispered. Aaliyah chuckled, and guided Rayne to one of the cells. Rayne was given a roughspun tunic and foot wraps on her way to the cell. She passed Forlyn's cell, who ceased to notice her at the moment. Aaliyah approached the cell door next to Forlyns, and Rayne entered.

"Change." Aaliyah said. Rayne looked down at the roughspun tunic in her hands, then looked back at Aaliyah. "Now." Rayne quickly changed, handing over the brotherhood armor.

"The Amulet." Aaliyah said. Rayne glared at Aaliyah, then took it off, handing it to Aaliyah. Now, her body was reaching temperatures that were unbearable to most. Aaliyah slipped the Amulet into her pocket, winking at Rayne. Then she shut the cell door, locked it, and headed to a barred-away desk across the room, sliding the brotherhood armor through a slot in the barrs, then went to another room in the cavern.

Rayne sat back in her cell, closing her eyes. She chose to trust Aaliyah, and to trust her with the Amulet of Souls. From what Rayne had heard, the changing of the guard would take place soon, so Rayne would have to hold out until then. But, something was bothering her.

Where was Cicero?

_**Aaliyah Ienith...**_

"So, you were successful in your capture, and brought her here safe. Good job." The assassin dressed in robes handed Aaliyah a bag of gold.

"How much?" Aaliyah asked.

"Three thousand." The assassin said, tapping the wooden table he was sitting at. Aaliyah gasped.

"Well, don't you think that's a little much?" Aaliyah asked, tossing the heavy coin bag back and forth in her hands.

"You do know who this is, yes?" The assassin said.

"Well, yeah, I do."

"Then you'll understand," The assassin said, motioning for Aaliyah to sit. She did.

"So, what next?" Aaliyah asked.

"Have you heard of the Amulet of Souls?" The assassin asked. Aaliyah froze.

"Y-Yes." She choked out.

"It is said that when you wear it, you recieve immediate warmth. I want you to retrieve it."

"But, aren't we warm enough down here?" Aaliyah asked, her voice shaky.

"No, no, I don't want it for the warmth. I want it for the power. Inside the black soul gem is something greater than magic. Something... Different." The assassin described this with great passion, motioning at nothing with his hands. He passed Aaliyah a parchment, with a map inscribed on it, along with points on the map marked here and there.

"Those marks are locations believed to be locations of this strange gem. Take a moment to look over it. I'm going to get some mead." And with that, the assassin left the room.

Aaliyah folded the map, pointlessley slipping it into her pocket. She got up from the table, frantically searching the room for the master key. Opening drawers, checking in books, journals, knapsacks. No luck. She sat back down at the table, exhaled, and directly in front of her. There it was. The key. Hanging on the wall. She got up from the table, approaching the key. Just as she grabbed it, the assassin walked back into the room.

"What in the name of Sithis do you think you're doing?" He asked, furious. Aaliyah turned around to face the assassin, key in hand. Two more assassins entered the room, approaching Aaliyah.

"Lock her up in one of the cells. I don't care which one." The hooded assassin said, taking the key back.

_**Rayne Dragonheart...**_

Rayne was awoken to the sound of a scream, followed by a thud. She looked across the cavern, watching as an unconcious Aaliyah was carried towards the cell next to Rayne's. The man carrying her tossed, literally, tossed, Aaliyah into the cell, then locked the cell door. As the assassin walked away, Rayne sat back in her cell. She officially knew that she was to die, here and now. There was no point in fighting back. She could tell that there was a Dragon Priest dressed in assassins robes in the corner of the room, and she had nothing to defend herself with, except magic and... Her thu'um.

But, the thu'um would attract unwanted attention, and Dragon Priests are rumoured to summon other Dragon Priests. So fighting would be useless.

_**A few hours later...**_

Rayne awoke to the sound of rattling keys. She rubbed away her blurry vision, looking at the Brotherhood associate unlocking her door. Once unlocked, they pulled her out of the cell, lining her up with Aaliyah and Forlyn.

"Nice work, Aaliyah," Rayne whispered harshly at Aaliyah.

"Oh, shut it." Aaliyah said. Forlyn kept quiet.

The hooded Dark Brotherhood associte, who Rayne had assumed by now to be the leader, began to speak.

"Rayne Dragonheart, you have been accused of the crime of not killing your target, even though you were given the chance to do so. You have also been accused of the crime of killing many associates of the Brotherhood. You are hereby sentenced to death." The man moved on to Forlyn.

"Forlyn Iron-Bear. You have been accused of the crime of assisting a refugee of the Brotherhood. Also, sentenced to death." Then the man moved on to Aaliyah.

"Aaliyah Ienith. You have been accused of the crime of betrayal, conspiracy, and coniving against the Brotherhood. Death."

Three assassins with crossbows aimed at each of the trios necks. Forlyn stood in silence. Rayne was nervous. Aaliyah was infuriated.

"Ready." The hooded assassin said.

"Aim."

"Fire."

The man aiming at Forlyn fired his crossbow, the bolt piercing Forlyn's neck. Rayne screamed, watching as Forlyn's body fell to the ground. She dropped to her knees.

"Get the bitch up, we've work to do!" The hooded man demanded. One of the assassins, jerked Rayne up from her crouching position. Tears were streaming down her face. The hooded assassin began his next countdown.

"Ready."

"Aim."

"F-"

The hooded assassin recieved a dagger to his throat. The body fell, and Cicero emerged from the dark of the room, charging the threee assassins with crossbows. Aaliyah quickly sprang to action, but Rayne was the fist to react.

"**Yol, TOOR SHUL!**"

Rayne set the three assassins on fire before anyone could lay a finger on them. She stood there, feeling tired, then turned to face Forlyn's body. Blood was puring out of his neck, eyes closed. Rayne knelt on one knee. She rested a palm on his chest. There was no denying it.

He was dead.

Rayne sat there, eyes closed, praying to the Nine for the second time in her life. Cicero and Aaliyah exchanged a glance, then looked back at Rayne.

"It's all my fault," Rayne began, "It's my fault..."

"It's not your fault," Aaliyah said.

"Yes it is!" Rayne shouted, the ground shaking. "If I never left him in the storm, he would still be alive." Tears like waterfalls ran down her face. Aaliyah decided not to speak. Cicero was humming to himself, knowing what Rayne was capable of doing when angered. Then, he stopped humming. Aaliyah noticed it, and turned to face him. He was looking at something in the other side of the room. She looked in that direction, and saw a Dragon Priest prepping to launch a fireball... At Rayne.

"RAYNE, GET DOWN!"

**A/N- Things are getting pretty tense, people. I already know a couple people who will not like Forlyn's death. And it's very sad, too. If you remember, the last words that Forlyn and Rayne exchanged were kind of harsh. So, that gives his death more weight. Thanks for reading, and review or PM me what you think will happen next.**


	7. Reunion

Rayne turned to look at the Dragon Priest, a fireball hitting her square in the chest. She flew backwards, her back smacking a dirt wall, then she fell to the ground. The hit knocked her unconcious, her body laying on the ground. The fire had been quenched by the cool dirt, but she still had burns. Cicero ordered Aaliyah to get Rayne up, while he fended off the Dragon Priest.

The Dragon Priest launched a fireball towards Cicero, which he deflected with a Greater Ward. He conjured a bound bow, and began releasing arrows at the Priest, each one landing an accurate shot. The Dragon Priest began casting wards at each arrow, now useless. Cicero de-conjured the bow, prepping a fireball spell in his left hand. In his right hand was telekinesis, which he used to lift objects and throw at the Dragon Priest.

Meanwhile, Aaliyah lifted Rayne up, who was still lifted Rayne over her shoulder, carrying her towards the cave exit.

"Cicero! I'm getting her out of this cave!" Aaliyah called out.

"Alright! Cicero will hurry up!" Cicero replied. And with that, Aaliyah exited the cave.

* * *

><p>Aaliyah stepped into the waist-high snow. She pushed through the snow, struggling with each step. The snow was thick. As she walked, she could feel something cold on her shoulder. Freezing, actually. <em>Rayne<em>, Aaliyah thought. _Oh, shit_. She quickly thought about what she could use that would effectively raise Rayne's body temperature.

Then she felt it.

A warm spot, just below her breast pocket. _The Amulet of Souls_. She quickly pulled it out of her pocket, setting Rayne on top of the now chest-level snow. She laced the Amulet around Rayne's neck, color returning to Rayne's face. She picked Rayne up again, one arm holding Rayne over Aaliyah's shoulder, using her fire spell to melt the snow in front of her.

But, it didn't work.

She put more energy into the fire spell, but it was useless.

This was no ordinary snow. She began pushing through the "snow" again, the sun now setting... Making it easier to see the lights ahead. _Shelter_, Aaliyah thought. Now she moved with a purpose, wasting no time getting to the source of light ahead.

"HEEEELP!" She called out. Nothing. She walked faster.

"HEEEEEEEELP!" She called again. Still, nothing. She tried one more time.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" Again, no response. She began to slow down, seeing what the light actually was.

A patrol of Stormcloaks, frozen stiff in mid-walk. The fire had been frozen, as well, but still emmited light. _Strange_, Aaliyah thought. She looked around her, wondering where to go from here. She turned to face the direction of where the Stormcloaks came from, snow now covering her face. She wiped it off, seeing that there was, some distance away, a structure. She could tell by how many lights there were, and how high they were. She made her way in that direction, hoping that something would be there.

Anything.

* * *

><p>Cicero launched a final fireball, killing the Dragon Priest. He removed the Dragon Priest Mask, looking at the carving on the inside of it.<p>

"Otar," Cicero read. He put the mask in his knapsack, and left the cave.

It was devilishly cold outside. Cicero noticed a break in the snow. Walking closer, he cound see that this spot was very much lower than the higher points of snow. _Aaliyah must have made this_, Cicero thought. He quickly followed it, hoping that Aaliyah didn't get too far, so he could catch up with her.

* * *

><p>Aaliyah could now see that before her stand the stone bridge leading to the gates of Windhelm. <em>Damn<em>, Aaliyah thought, _we travelled far_. She quickly pushed through the snow across the bridge, shouting at whomever could hear her to open the gates.

The large doors stood closed.

Aaliyah quickly lay Rayne on top of the snow, and began to bang on the city gates, feeling hopeless. She could feel energy leaving her body. Her joints were stiffening, skin freezing over. Her heart rate slowed, and she could barely move her jaw.

Then she blacked out.

* * *

><p>Aaliyah awoke in a warm bed, quickly sitting up. She looked around the room, seeing a Stormcloak guard standing in the corner. She eased up a bit, rubbing her eyes. She took another look around the room, seeing Rayne sleeping on a bed nearby. Aaliyah swung her legs over the side of the bed, seeing the clothes that she was in. A Stormcloak currias, with fur boots and gauntlets. Rayne was wearing the same. Aaliyah smiled to herself, then left the room.<p>

She walked into a large room, with a throne on one end, a long table in the center of the room. On the ground was a blue carpet, ragged around the edges. The walls, floor, and ceiling were stone. She walked to the nearest man, who was wearing a set of ordinary clothes and a cap.

"Excuse me?" She said. The man turned to face her.

"Ah, yes?" He said.

"Where are we?" Aaliyah asked. The man fixed his posture before speaking.

"We are in the Palace of The Kings, in Windhelm. We found you and the other outside the gates when we checked for survivors. You two were quite a mess. We quick-" The man stopped short when the floor shook.

"WHERE IS IT!?" Rayne shouted form the other room. Aaliyah turned to see Rayne enter the main hall, infuriated. She set her gaze on the man closest to Aaliyah.

"You," She began, "Where is my Amulet?" The man had a confused look on his face.

"What Amulet?" He asked. Rayne's face lit up with anger. She punched the man in the jaw, and he backed up, holding his face.

"Where is it!" Rayne demanded. Aaliyah backed up, not wanting to get caught up in this. Two guards approached the situation.

"Is everything alright?" One of them asked. Rayne turned to face the guards.

"No, everything is not alright!" She shouted. The ground shook again. "My Amulet is missing!" One of the guards turned to face the other, then turned back to face Rayne.

"Why don't you come with us, and we'll sort this out?" One of the guards said.

"No!" Rayne began. "I'm not going anywhere until I get that Amulet back." The man who recieved a hit from Rayne quickly regained his posture.

"It's alright, men," He said, "You can leave. I'll get this figured out." The guards nodded, heading back to their positions in the main hall. "Now, what's this about an Amulet?" The man asked. Aaliyah cut in before Rayne could speak.

"There was an Amulet with her when she was found, and she woke up without it. Now, she won't give up until she gets it back." Aaliyah explained, then Rayne cut in.

"I can fend for myself, you know." Rayne said. Aaliyah put up a hand, quieting Rayne.

"Could you just get the Amulet?" Aaliyah pleaded. The man exhaled, then walked into another room. Aaliyah turned to Rayne.

"Did you HAVE to make such a scene?" Aaliyah asked.

"Yes. That Amulet is special to me, and I will NOT lose it." Rayne said. Aaliyah exhaled, turning to see Ulfric Stormcloak approaching them. In his hand was the Amulet, still emmiting that fading and glowing purple. Ulfric stopped when he reached Aaliyah and Rayne, then handed the Amulet to Rayne, who quickly took it, lacing it around her neck.

"Hello, Rayne," Ulfric said.

"Ulfric," Rayne responded. Ulfric turned to look at Aaliyah.

"I'm Aaliyah Ienith," She said, extending a hand. Ulfric shook it, then guided Rayne and Aaliyah to the battle room.

* * *

><p>Cicero followed the path until the snow filled the path. Cicero could no longer follow in Aaliyah's footsteps. He stopped, doing his best to look through the snow. Nothing. He slowly climbed onto the top of the snow, knowing he was skilled in light-footing. He went in the direction he thought Aaliyah would go, breaking no stride.<p>

* * *

><p>"So, you want to take out the Dark Brotherhood?" Ulfric asked, slightly amused.<p>

"Yes," Rayne said.

"Why? You know this is suicide." Ulfric said.

"Yes, I know, but we could handle the Spirit of Boethiah well enough, couldn't we?" Rayne urged.

"We did, but with the cost of a large amount of men." Ulfric said, slightly agitated, now. Rayne huffed, then turned to look at Aaliyah. Aaliyah nodded, and began to speak.

"The Dark Brotherhood has increased in strength, greatly. They have increased their numbers, and have been able to _somehow_ take control of Dragon Priests. Their magic has increased in strength, and they seemd to take an interest in this Amulet that Rayne has." She motioned to Rayne, who was wearing the Amulet around her neck, then continued to speak.

"Apparentley, inside of that black soul gem is a power that the Dark Brotherhood was very interested in, and spoke of "something beyond magic and dragons". I don't know what it is, but we need to keep it out of their hands, and eliminate the Dark Brotherhood, for good." Once Aaliyah finished, Ulfric turned to face Rayne, and the Amulet. Then he looked back at the map on the table.

"It's best we get them now, while they don't expect it." Aaliyah said.

"And why wouldn't they expect it?" Ulfric asked. Aaliyah paused before speaking.

"Because their busy with a mass murder."

"Mass murder?" Ulfric asked, intrigued.

"The so-called "storm" that is passing through isn't a storm. It's a dark magic." Aaliyah said, with baffled looks from Rayne and Ulfric.

"Back before I went after Rayne, I had overheard that the high-ranking mages of the Dark Brotherhood had access to a whole new kind of magic, and were planning on wiping out a majority of the population. But we're not going to let that happen. They can't get the storm to it's full power without what's in that Amulet, and we need to keep that Amulet under the highest protection until we've dealt with the Dark Brotherhood." Aaliyah explained, taking in a large amount of air. Rayne glanced at Ulfric, who was now very much intrigued. He spoke.

"Well, if that is the case, then Rayne must be willing to let go of the Amulet for some time." Ulfric said, looking to Rayne, who had an expression of shock on her face.

"Rayne, you need to let go of the Amulet." Aaliyah said. Rayne turned to face Aaliyah, about to argue, but figured it'd be best not to get into a fight. She slowly removed the Amulet, handing it over to Ulfric. Ulfric accepted it, handing it to his steward, who would then put it someplace safe, and unknown to anyone else.

"We're about to have dinner soon, so I hope you haven't eaten yet." Ulfric said. When Rayne heard this, her hopes lifted. She hadn't eaten in quite a while, and does enjoy the food here. She and Aaliyah left the room, heading for the barracks. Ulfric headed to speak with the chef.

* * *

><p>In the barracks, Rayne and Aaliyah were discussing what the Brotherhood was like when Rayne was still Listener. Aaliyah was amazed, and intrigued, and confused all at once. When they stopped talking, Rayne asked Aaliyah a question.<p>

"Where's Cicero?"

_Oh, shit_, Aaliyah thought, _Forgot about him..._

**A/N- Okay guys, so I just discovered "Line Breaks", which I will use more often, now, so the story has a better flow. And how did you like this chapter? Quite the cliff hanger, huh? Well, I hope this chapter is considerably longer than most, and expect other chapters to be as long, or longer, depending on the amount of content in the chapter. PM or review what you thought!**


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